Golf Physiology

Your golf physiology and body could be limiting your game

Your golf physiology, fitness, flexibility and conditioning has a huge impact on your golf game.

Golf physiology includes everything to do with your body and movement.

This includes:

  • Your vision, what you do with your eyes and your focus.
  • Your breathing, this impacts your movement and ability to relax.
  • Your emotions…how you feel affects your decisions, strategy, focus and execution.
  • Your intuition which is your compass to know what to do and not do.

Your body may be working against you

If it’s not bad enough that your thinking could be working against you. Your golf physiology, your body and movement may be doing it too.

For example if:

  • You have lost flexibility in your back, hips, or shoulders.
  • You lack strength.
  • You are not as fit as you would like to be.
  • Your hamstrings are be really tight.
  • You are carrying a bit more weight than you like.

Your body affects your swing.

Your body swings the club. If there is any limitation or restriction to your golf physiology this will affect your swing.
For instance as we age, particularly beyond 40 years of age. Playing 18 holes gets harder. As you tire, so does your backswing. This is the cause of shorter drives, mishits and possible injury.

This is compounded when you play inconsistently, thrashing your way around the course wasting shots.

Stretch for flexibility and rotation

Whatever your age you need to work on your flexibility and conditioning. For some they turn to tai chi to improve their golf physiology or yoga. They stretch regularly.

Particularly stretch those hamstrings.

If you lack flexibility and rotation it will affect how you swing through the ball and how the club face strikes the ball.

Your golf physiology could be creating your slice or hook.

No amount of swing coaching or hitting golf balls at the driving range will change that.
Work on your golf fitness.

Golf fitness and flexibility will do wonders for your golf. You will relax more easily, and have good balance and combined with your breathing will help you tap into your natural rhythm.

Do yourself a favor and find a golf physiology specialist who truly understands Golf Fitness and can set up a golf fitness program of exercises designed specifically for you.

Focus on strengthening your core which is basically working your lower back, hamstrings and abdominals. It’s the key to your best, unrestricted golf swing.

Your eyes determine your focus

Your vision is not just what you see, it’s all about how you see it and what you physically do with your eyes throughout making a shot that can make all difference.

This includes:

  • Whether your focus on the target or the ball.
  • How you use eye dominance in targeting
  • Using your peripheral vision to focus on the target through the shot
  • Being precise in picking a line and playing to it.
  • Narrowing your vision to the target.

This is such an important topic I have gone into more depth in the section golf vision.

Another important thing to remember when it comes to your vision is that golf courses have been designed to trick you. They are designed to create an optical illusion.

Breathing is your secret weapon to great golf

Three deep breaths as you view your target will help you to relax. Breathing well can free up your rib cage and relax your body moving into a shot.

This is important because relaxation is the gateway to high performance. Your body is freer in it’s movement. There is less effort, you save energy.

In fact breathing is so powerful through the shot routine if done a certain way you will find your golf shots effortless because you will discover your natural rhythm and timing.

The other great benefit of deep breathing is you can use it to manage your emotions and let go of shots that don’t work.

Your emotions can make or break your game

Emotions are intimately entwined in your mind, thinking, body and golf physiology. They affect your motivation and decision-making.

Most people let their emotions get the better of them and ride them like a roller coaster.

The reality is your emotions are electrical signals and hormones that race through your system. If you accept they are signals, then start listening to them. Notice what they are telling you.

There is usually one of two things they are saying to you. Do more of something because it feels good or stop doing something because it doesn’t.

The more you fight against yourself, the harder it gets. You hit a shot that doesn’t work and get angry or upset with yourself. You carry that emotion with you. You get to the next shot still feeling angry. Now you are really going to take it out on the ball. You swing harder and faster.

What happens? You hit another bad shot. It compounds. You lose, in fact you wasted 3 strokes on that hole. Over 18 holes that’s a handicap of 54 strokes.

More shots requires more energy. Learn to save shots and energy.

Intuition

Intuition is your inbuilt guidance system. Some people refer to it as a gut feeling or a flashing thought.

It’s fast and generally very accurate.

How many times have you stood over the ball and it didn’t look or feel right and you still played the shot? What happened? You should have listened and backed away, right?

Golf is a game where you need every advantage you can get. Use your intuition. Listen to it.